Garsons team to tackle Thames Path Challenge for charity

Lifelong Esher resident and Garsons employee, Kerry Ford, is preparing to tackle the Thames Path Challenge for the second time in aid of the Princess Alice Hospice - and this time she is roping in her fiancé, Nick Ruddle, who also works at the garden centre and PYO farm.

The couple, who live at the Surrey farm with their nine-year-old daughter Phoebe, have been putting in hours of training, in between working at Garsons - Kerry as a sales assistant in the gift department and Nick as assistant manager of the farm shop.

Kerry jogged the gruelling 100k challenge last year but had to pull out before the end due to injury.

“I found it a real struggle on my own last year and I was on the phone throughout the night to Nick who kept talking to me to keep me going,” she said. “I’m so pleased Nick is doing the challenge with me this year as it will be a great support for both of us when we have low points with exhaustion.”

The Thames Path Challenge takes place on Saturday September 8 and Sunday September 9 and is a scenic route which starts from Putney Bridge and heads upstream, past Hampton Court Palace to Runnymede of Magna Carta fame at the half way point, and then all the way to Henley.

Kerry, 33, and Nick, 39, are hoping to raise £1,000 for the Princess Alice Hospice in memory of her uncle, Chris Spudel, an Esher resident of 60 years. The hospice is also Garsons charity of the year for 2018.

The couple, who met at Garsons when they both started working in the farm shop and have been engaged for 10 years, plan to walk the challenge continuously for two days, only stopping for pitstops to refuel with snacks and drinks.

They are hoping that their Garsons colleagues, friends and family will join them at scheduled rest stops at Hurst Park in Hersham and at Runnymede. After that, they will continue through the night and early morning until they reach the finish line.

“We will keep going by chatting to friends on our phones, listening to music, and finally having the chance to catch up with each other,” adds Kerry.

Award-winning farm shop...

Garsons is a family-owned farm shop, garden centre and pick-your-own farm with a restaurant serving food grown on the farm and from other local producers. The farm shop in Esher boasts a wonderful range of hand-picked food and drink, including an impressive selection of local and British beers, wines, ciders and spirits.

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